Manipur's Peace Process: Community Dialogue, Security Measures and the Legal Framework
Discussion on the ongoing Manipur ethnic conflict has renewed focus on dialogue between the Meitei, Kuki-Zo and Naga communities as a path to lasting peace, alongside continuing security measures.
Separately, on 25 September 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) across Manipur for a further six months, from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, while excluding areas under 13 police stations in five districts from the "disturbed area" declaration.
The exclusions cover parts of Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur and Kakching districts, reflecting a partial, calibrated easing of security measures in some relatively calmer areas.
Existing Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreements with armed groups in the hill districts continue to operate alongside these security decisions, forming part of the broader institutional response to the conflict.
Manipur Ethnic Conflict: Meitei, Kuki-Zo and Naga Communities
Manipur is a small state in Northeast India with three main groups of people: the Meiteis, who mostly live in the valley area around the capital Imphal, and the Kuki-Zo and Naga tribal communities, who mostly live in the surrounding hill districts. Since 3 May 2023, clashes between these groups, mainly between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo communities, have killed hundreds of people, displaced tens of thousands from their homes, and deeply divided the state along community and geographic lines.
Community dialogue between Meitei, Kuki-Zo and Naga representatives, alongside continuing security and administrative measures like AFSPA's calibrated extension, are the two tracks institutions are using at the same time to try to move Manipur from active conflict toward a durable peace.
Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958
The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, or AFSPA, is a law passed by Parliament in 1958. It gives the Army and other central armed forces special powers in places the government declares "disturbed areas". In these places, soldiers can search homes, arrest people without a warrant and, in some cases, use force, including opening fire, if it is necessary to maintain public order.
This latest extension shows the central government treating most of Manipur as still needing AFSPA's special security powers, while the exclusion of 13 relatively calmer police station areas signals a cautious, gradual scaling back of security measures in parts of the state, running in parallel with calls for community dialogue.
Suspension of Operations (SoO) Agreement
A Suspension of Operations, or SoO, agreement is a deal between the government and an armed rebel group to stop fighting each other for a period of time. Security forces pause their operations against the group, and in return, the group's fighters stop violence, stay in designated camps and keep their weapons locked up under supervision, rather than surrendering them outright.
Existing SoO arrangements with hill-based armed groups form part of the security backdrop against which today's discussion of "community dialogue, not military force" and the calibrated AFSPA extension are taking place, since both tracks affect the same conflict-hit districts.
- AFSPA extended in Manipur: 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027 (six months), notified 25 September 2026
- 13 police stations across 5 districts excluded from the extension (Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur, Kakching)
- Manipur ethnic violence began: 3 May 2023
- President's Rule imposed in Manipur: February 2025, under Article 356
- Main communities: Meitei (valley), Kuki-Zo and Naga (hills)